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Her father’s office was on the third floor He looked up and smiled when she came into the roo into a chair "How about yours?"

"Fine, fine I won’t be long" He returned to the co so of this computer stuff now"

"Take your time, I’m in no hurry"

"Wilcoff" The sa sounded from the doorway

Julie turned her head to find the same unfriendly man--presumably Roy Fletcher His eyes narrohen he saw her

"You again?" he said

Her father rose and cast a glance frohter, Julie You’ve " Fletcher held out his hand

They exchanged brief handshakes "Pleasure isn’t exactly the word I’d use," Julie prilish?"

"No," she said in a clipped voice "Etiquette"

The merest hint of a smile touched his mouth "I see"

"Julie teaches physical education, Mr Fletcher," her father corrected, apparently surprised she’d claim otherwise

Fletcher focused his attention on Dean "I wanted to let you knowby in the next couple of weeks to paint a Christmas scene on the lobby s" He frowned "She seems to think some Christmas cheer will put me in the holiday mood," he said with heavy sarcasoodwill, now or at any other time of the year

"I’ll make sure no one bothers Mrs Fletcher," her father assured hio, then changed his mind "Hoas your first day?"

Her father hesitated "Challenging"

"Good, glad to hear it" With that, Fletcher was gone as fast as he’d appeared

"Good, glad to hear it," Julie repeated, and rolled her eyes "Is that the most unpleasant man you’ve ever met in your life or what?"

"He’s my employer, Julie, and he has more important matters on his mind than either you or me"

"How can you defend him?" she cried "You said he was cold, but I had no idea he was this cold"

"He has a lot of responsibilities," her father said "I’ve only been with the company one day, but I can see that people respect hireat deal There has to be a reason the staff feels like that about him"

If her father wanted to defend the tyrant, fine She wasn’t going to argue with him

"I wonder what made him like this," she murmured while her father cleared off his desk She didn’t expect an answer and he didn’t give her one Perhaps eventually she’d learn ain, perhaps she wouldn’t Because Julie didn’t care if she ever saw hiain

"It’s her," Mercy shouted joyously, clapping her hands with delight "She’s the woman we’ve been sent to find for Anne’s son"

"Who?" Shirley asked, looking around the empty office

"Julie, of course," Mercy said irritably "Dean Wilcoff’s daughter" Mercy sees as plainly as she did

"Julie? This Julie?" Goodness repeated, incredulous "Get out of here!" Julie Wilcoff wasn’t at all the kind of woman she had in mind Besides, anyone could see those two had started off on the wrong foot Julie openly disliked the s were harder to read, but she wouldn’t be surprised if he’d had trouble re Julie’s name two minutes after they’don the file cabinet in Wilcoff’s darkened office "They’re perfect for each other"

Shirley remained skeptical "Sorry, I just can’t picture it"

"Me, neither," Goodness concurred She tried to iether, so personalities that would constantly collide Goodness thought a gentle, loving woman would be better suited to the likes of Roy Fletcher Someone soft and quiet So They hadn’t found this paragon yet, but give them time and they would Of course, they didn’t have a lot of tinment on Earth was limited to a short three weeks

"Aroaned "Julie’s the right woot the strength of will to stand up to him, and he’ll respect her for that"

"True," Shirley reluctantly agreed "I don’t mean to be unkind here, but have you noticed that…well, Julie’s a very sweet girl, but…"

"She’s a woht qualifications"